My sisters 2000 Taurus SE had a pin hole leak in the power steering line that runs between the frame & engine/trans, about an inch of clearance in there. It seems the clamp that holds it in place actually sticks out below the frame, so if it gets nudged it allows the hose to move up. It got hit over the winter sometime & let the metal tubing part of the hose come in contact with the engine/bell housing. As the FWD revs up it twists forward unlike our RWD which twists to the side & with an inch of clearance it rubbed the engine etc every so often wearing a pin hole in it.

We drained the fluid, brazed over it & it looks like it sealed it until I can get a line for it & replace it.

But the power steering pump still has bubbles. I've read a couple different ways of purging the air, one is with a vacuum pump & another is just turning the wheels with the engine off in Run position.

I heard if there's play in the pulley that means the power steering pump is FUBAR & the pulley is a PITA to remove. You need a special tool to remove it in the limited area to work in.
With the engine off the fluid level is proper, run the engine & the fluid in the reservoir disappears into the pump & you can see why there is air in the fluid.
If you fill it to either the cold or hot level (what's appropriate) with the engine running & shut the car off you get Mt. Vesuvius all over the engine compartment!
Don't I have enough issues with my vehicle already? lol

I have to praise Rock Auto for their product detail notes on this one!
CARDONE::Product Detail
Lots of interesting things to read about & consider.

 

Yes the pulley is a pita but all ford ps pumps have some play. If it was ruined it would leak. I've had MANY and a few run dry but as long as they arent run a long time without, then, at least in my experience, they all came back.

This is the method I used if most fluid was lost.
http://my.cardone.com/techdocs/PT%2020-0008.pdf

Cardone.. good info, crap racks.
Reason to take wheels off ground and do slow turns is so the valves in the rack dont engage. That's why it keeps erupting if you try it with wheel on ground.

 

I knew you'd respond to this post lol. Well... I was hoping as well.
I saw that quote you have in the link I provided.
part of it is The play in the pulley is maybe 1/4" & that's with a 3' wrecker bar trying to move it.
My sis drove it for a bit, about 45 mins I'd guess with it losing fluid, not saying it was dry but it still sucks all the fluid down & if you fill it to the hot level (at that time) & shut it off - it erupts.

Very odd, but I realize that the bubbles will take up more space than just fluid possibly causing the eruption when it's shut off, so my 1st thing is to purge the system of air.
After that I'm guessing replace the pump & run fluid through the lines so it has fresh fluid.
Of course we have the moaning, groaning sounds & lack of assist when the RPM's are low & trying to turn, especially from a stop.
I've added some Lucas Mucas PS lube, but it draining the reservoir/filler tube when it starts seems unnatural to me.
Why does it drain THAT much fluid & yet when you shut the engine off it spews out the vent hole if you filled it HOT? So odd, maybe the pump is bad?!

<edit> maybe I'll get a video of it running & then spewing & NO, it's not **** lol.

 

Rotti... did you actually go through that routine or not?
It's the only way it works. You cant FORCE the air out with wheels on the ground. a little air you can {but it takes forever}.. not if it's mostly air. The key is the gating valves in the rack have to be at least partly neutral. That's why the engine OFF

Put it this way/.. with the engine running you are forcing fluid in, the air has no place to go. Engine off, the air on one side is forced out, then when returned, fluid is sucked in.

 

Haven't tried it yet but I will on the weekend. Thanks again!